I Am Hades, The supreme GOD of the Underworld!

Time flows. Or perhaps, for gods, time is something they scarcely regard. For divine beings, the passage of time is as inconsequential as flowing water. So long as they have not reached their final moment, the end of their fated existence, time is a trivial matter for them. 

For the gods of the Underworld, time is even less valuable. They follow their eternally loyal Lord of the Underworld, and their lives are set. Time, for them, is simply a vast resource, no longer a limited concern. Their destiny, detached from mortality, grants them infinite time to pursue whatever they desire.

"Hmm…"

Apate shook her head slightly, murmuring to herself, "Still no success?"

"God-King…" She sighed, an expression of helplessness in her eyes. As one of the earliest gods to follow Hades, she had gained significant power over the years. Thanks to Hades' constant elevation and the World Tree's growth, she had ascended to the peak of the Chief God level. 

But even at that peak, Apate found herself far from the God-King level. Here, at the threshold, she sensed the insurmountable chasm separating her current power from the next level. The difference was as vast as Heaven and Earth, a gap almost dishearteningly large.

Though she had achieved so much, she realized the sheer difficulty of reaching the next stage. Standing at the peak of Chief God level was a monumental feat, but crossing into God-King was an entirely different challenge.

"Apate," a voice said gently.

Apate turned to see Philotes approaching with a soft smile. This goddess with golden hair wore a comforting expression.

"Yes," Apate said, nodding with a sigh. "If I hadn't walked this path myself, I wouldn't have understood just how difficult this journey really is."

"Ah," she sighed again, shaking her head. Apate understood that her success so far had been largely due to Hades' guidance and support. Without his aid, she would not have reached the peak of the Chief God level on her own. Even so, breaking through to the next level seemed a nearly impossible task, like trying to achieve a miracle.

Philotes offered a comforting smile. "Apate, relax a bit! Becoming a God-King isn't something achieved easily. It has already been three million years, and the Age of Heroes is reaching its end. Even those who received the blessings of our Lord—Hypnos, Thanatos, Baal, Behemoth, Astaroth, and Asmodeus—are still far from that level."

Philotes was correct. Hades had bestowed the elements of Heaven and Earth, and Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth upon six Underworld gods, yet reaching God-King status was no simple task. Only Hemera, who inherited the position of Lord of the Sky, had ascended directly to God-King, while the others continued to struggle upward.

Three million years of diligent effort had not been enough. The God-King level remained a daunting milestone that separated higher gods from lesser ones. Attaining it required not only potential but immense perseverance.

The Underworld had three prominent God-Kings among its ranks—Aether, Hemera, and Europa, representing the rulers of space, sky, and earth. Sparta, due to his unique circumstances, and Eris, through strategic maneuvering in the battle between Gaia and Zeus, had also reached God-King status. Then there was Mephistopheles, who as the last remnant of a destroyed mythical world, had accumulated power over eons.

Finally, there were Moirai, Keres, and Khar, each of whom had benefitted from the legacy of the Titan King Kronos, made possible by the Titan Queen Rhea's assistance. Without such extraordinary circumstances, their progress might have stalled like that of Apate and Philotes.

This reality highlighted the monumental nature of the God-King level, a boundary that Hades could casually disregard but that proved nearly insurmountable for others.

Apate sighed softly. "I know this is the case, but being so close yet unable to cross over… it's frustrating. To be just a step away…"

Philotes was silent, acknowledging Apate's struggles with a sympathetic nod. No god, having come so far, wished to fall short of becoming a God-King.

Among the children of Erebus and Nyx, several had become prominent gods of the Underworld. Aether, Hemera, Keres, Khar, Eris, and Moirai had all reached the level of God-King. Hypnos and Thanatos, with Hades' blessing, were on the verge of ascension and only required time. 

The remaining gods—Geras, Eurynomos, Moros, Momos, Oizys, Nemesis, Apate, Kakia, and the special entity Oneiroi—had all reached the peak of Chief God. They stood on the edge, needing only a final push to enter the God-King level, but the final step remained elusive. They had worked tirelessly for three million years, but the barrier felt insurmountable.

At that moment, soft footsteps approached, and a tall, stunning goddess with dark red hair appeared—Keres.

Keres observed her two sisters' frustration and said gently, "Philotes, Apate, you are trapped in a mental deadlock."

"Keres…"

They looked up at her with curiosity.

Keres explained, "Our potential doesn't truly support us reaching the God-King level. This is true even for those with the greatest talent among us, like Aether, Hemera, Hypnos, and Thanatos."

"This is our essence; it does not naturally grant us the right to reach God-King status."

The two goddesses fell silent. They were not resentful, only frustrated.

It was undeniable that, though all were children of Erebus and Nyx, those with the highest innate talent were Aether, Hemera, Hypnos, and Thanatos. In normal circumstances, they would have reached no further than the Chief God level.

"But," Keres continued, "if you put your minds at ease, you'll see that our Lord's path has not ended, and the Underworld's future holds limitless glory. Do you truly think that this is where it stops?"

The two goddesses hesitated, then Apate answered, "Of course not. Our Lord's strength is unquestionable, and his future shines brightly with glory."

"Exactly," Keres said. "We follow that glory, so our future will inevitably allow us to progress further."

"We must know our position and remain diligent," Keres advised. "But besides hard work, there are other things to consider, aren't there?"

"We understand." The two goddesses nodded, recognizing that they had indeed let their pursuit of power cloud their focus. Each of them had responsibilities, and they understood that attending to these duties was essential for the future.

Keres nodded, adding, "I can sense it… Our Lord's journey is far from over. The Underworld will follow his lead into the future, a path full of splendor. We must remember this and keep moving forward."

Her words were soft yet resolute, filled with conviction.

Indeed, if the future was destined to be glorious, then they must continue to move forward, step by step, with unwavering commitment.

Keres hesitated momentarily before continuing, "Though it's uncertain, since I became a God-King, I've sensed unrest within the Chaos Sea. I'm not sure what it signifies…"

She shook her head, uncertain how to articulate her thoughts. Keres was among the weakest of the Underworld's God-Kings, and her perceptions were limited.

Apate and Philotes looked at her, their eyes widening with surprise. Though they had never ventured into the Chaos Sea, they knew that if it were in upheaval, it could signal drastic changes for all mythical worlds.

If true, then the very thought was both thrilling and terrifying. Such a shift would bring immense transformation, and only those quick enough to grasp its opportunities would thrive in this new era.

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